


If You Say So...

by IfOnlyYouKnewxx



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Nanny, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, She Is 18 He Is 25
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 20:44:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5840326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfOnlyYouKnewxx/pseuds/IfOnlyYouKnewxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brooklyn was unprepared for life. She was finishing High School in less than a week and still had no plans for her future unlike her two best friends. So when her English teacher suggests a job as a live in nanny with an ex-student of hers, not to mention he is a newly single, soon to be divorced father of two, what could possibly go wrong? It was going to be just like looking after her own siblings. Wasn't it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Say So...

With one week to go of secondary school forever, Brooklyn walks into Mrs Collins mostly empty English class. There was only one week left so most of her peers had decided to start the rest of their lives early. It is not like they were doing anything important in any of their classes, just returning any and all school textbooks and novels, playing all sorts of board and card games and making promises to stay in touch in the future that were mostly empty. Because in all honesty there were only a handful of people that Brooklyn wanted to keep in contact with. They were just waiting for graduation, then they really didn't have to look back.

Slumping into her desk Brooklyn leans forward to rest her head on the desk and lets out a long and desperate groan. Sky, her best friend since before either could even talk, was already sat in her usual seat next to Brooklyn, reached over to half-heartedly stroke her head in some poor attempt at comfort or support. Neither option seemed likely, seeing as she hadn't even bothered to look away from the current novel that she was reading.

Brooklyn looked over at her best friend ready to scold her for not being more interested, only to realise that Sky was now roughly 10 pages short of finishing the suspenseful novel she had given her the day before.

“That good hey?” Brooklyn askes sitting up only to lean back, arms folded with a smug expression and amusement now clearly laced in her tone. All thoughts of her previous problem apparently forgotten.

“Just….shut up would you I'm nearly finished” Sky asks in an emotionally defeated voice as she turns the page. “I hate you so much right now.”

Understanding how heart breaking the events of the novel are, Brooklyn turns in her seat to face Sky, bringing her feet up to rest on the seat, hugging them to her chest she watches and waits for Sky to finish.

Brooklyn is startled out of her daydream by the sound of a book being slammed onto the desk. “I can’t believe you suggested that book, were you trying to kill me? It was so sad, how could she just forget that?” Sky has now also turned herself around to face Brooklyn, mirroring each other.

“I needed someone to talk to about it.” Brooklyn states placing her feet back on the ground and sitting up straighter. “ Sooo…. E. Lockhart 1, me 1 and you 0?” The smug expression is back.

They spend the next fifteen minutes discussing the outcome of the novel and how money and greed can tear families apart with devastating outcomes.

Sky suddenly interrupts Brooklyn’s claim that having too much money would never be a problem for her family, what with having a single mum and four other siblings. “Hey, what was wrong with you before?”

“Oh, nothing really, just that I'm now one week away from graduating, and I don’t have any clue as to what I am doing next year. I'm not ready to be an adult yet” Brooklyn pretends to cry into Sky’s shoulder “I don’t have it all figured out like you do”

Sky was going to London College of Fashion after the holidays. Moving up to London in a matter of weeks to start her job as a waitress for some overly posh restaurant, which also paid ridiculously well, so she was forgiven for her pretentiousness.

Brooklyn is still ranting when Mrs Collins stops and pulls out a chair to join the two girls, having just finished rearranging the book shelves, adding in the books that were thought to be long lost.

“You still haven’t found anything Brooklyn?” Mrs Collins asks kindly. She was quite fond of these two, neither was top of the class, but they put in the effort and appeared to really enjoy her class.

“No Miss I am still no closer to figuring out what I want to do with my life. It just feels like such an important decision that I don’t feel ready to make, yet.” Brooklyn once again leans forward, this time pillowing her head on her arms.

“I may have a temporary solution” Brooklyn’s head snaps up in hope. “You know how I went to London this weekend,” Brooklyn and Sky nod yes, both curious as to where this conversation was headed. “Well while I was there I happened to run into one of my ex-students, who is now a largely successful business man and we got talking about how he is going through a divorce and is getting full custody for his two 3 year olds. You see the twins were born in November, so he and his soon to be ex-wife have decided to keep them home anther year. He wants to hire a nanny of sorts to live there and just do the day to day stuff and the occasional weekend when he has to go away on business.” Mrs Collins finishes a fond smile on her face. “I think you would be perfect for the job.”

“Let me get this straight, I move into some rich old guy’s house for a year and look after his kids while he is at, or away for work?” Brooklyn asks becoming more interested the more she thinks about it.

“I never said he was old, he is an ex-student of mine. Sky, don’t look at me like that, I’m not really from the dark ages, you know.” Mrs Collins says, as Sky gives her a pointed look, these students were really like her own children, or at least nieces and nephews. “He is 25 I think.” She answers Brooklyn’s question.

“Oh, Brooklyn he is young, you could have a passionate love affair with him and no one will get hurt because he is already divorced. Or at least he will be.” Sky exclaims with a suggestive smirk on her face.

“You really need to start living in the real world girl, that kind of thing doesn’t just happen.” Brooklyn states with an exasperated sigh, her best friend is a hopeless romantic, who sees potential ‘the ones’ everywhere, which has resulted in many late night movie marathons to help her to ‘restore her faith in men’. Brooklyn was a romantic herself she just happened to also have a strong dose of reality.

“So Miss, what makes you think I could do this?” Brooklyn asks really starting to consider the job.

“Everyone knows how good you are with your siblings and how often do you babysit? Three nights a week?” Brooklyn nods “ you would be perfect, and he lives in London, so you could also explore more career options than you ever could here.”

“I suppose, how would I contact him?” Brooklyn asks a hint of nerves and excitement leaking into her voice.

”I could give him a call at lunch, what do you have last? I have a free and can come and tell you if he is interested. If he is can I give him your contact information?” Mrs Collins says as the bell goes.

“I have Maths last with Mr Lemon,” Brooklyn answers as she, grabs the book Sky had finished earlier to put in her bag. “Yeah, you can” Brooklyn gets out her note book and a pen and scribbles down her name, number and email address for good measure, handing it to Mrs Collins, “thanks for this Miss, I really appreciate it.”

After exchanging goodbyes, the two girls separated ways for their next classes.

**********

The day passed extra slowly for Brooklyn, there were no distractions of school work, so all she could focus on was the idea of this job. She was both nervously excited and apprehensive of the job. Ideas of the kids not liking her, or the dad not liking her, or the mum not liking her.

A number of times she was tempted to go and find Mrs Collins and tell her not to bother calling this ex-student of hers. She managed to resist.

It wasn't until lunch time and Brooklyn was telling the rest of her group of friends about the potential job that she realised she didn't know that much about him (he could be a sex toy distributor Steven, her self-appointed equal bestest friend in the world, had so helpful suggested, this did not do anything ease her growing concerns) she didn't even know his name, so they couldn't do a Facebook search and try to guess which one he was.

After lunch, and many possible successful careers, that ranged from plausible to absolutely ridicules. Brooklyn wouldn’t have it any other way, she really was going to miss her group of friends. Most of them had merely been acquaintances and friends of friends, now she doesn't know how she would have made it through the year without them all. Sure some had come and others had gone, but the ones that really mattered to Brooklyn had stayed. It was sad to think that undoubtedly she would lose contact with most of them over the next few months.

Brooklyn is startled from her thoughts by Stevens gentle punch on the shoulder, only to find that they are already at their last class and he rest of their group had already gone their separate ways. “Where you even listening?” Brooklyn shakes her head no “well, as I was saying remember when I went to the open day at University of London about three months ago and I met that girl?”

“You mean the one that you thought was your one and only, but didn’t reply to your messages? Yeah we remember, how could we forget it took you a month to accept that she wasn’t going to reply to you.” Sky answers a slight giggle in her voice, as the three of them drop into their usual seats.

“Yes that one, well turns out, she had a self-enforced ban on all forms of technology until the exams finished-“

“So why did she take a week to respond?” Brooklyn interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

“If you would let me finish, I would have told you that she messaged me the night of the last exam, and we have been talking since-“

“Little Steven has been talking to a girl and has not told his two favourite girls? What is the world coming to?” Sky dramatically clutches at Stevens shirt.

“You can’t call me that anymore, I tower over the both of you now.” Steven says with a pout.

“You will be always be little Steven that picks his nose behind his book and wipes it under the desk” Sky laughs back.

Brooklyn laughs at the two of them “But seriously why didn’t you tell us?” She asks slightly put off.

“I wanted to make sure it was going to go somewhere before I told you two, I wanted to avoid the I told you so’s for as long as possible” Steven replies sheepishly while still struggling to get a squirming Sky off his chest.

Sky leans back “So she likes you?”

“Yeah we already have a coffee date for the day after she gets there, she thinks because I will have already been there for three days I can find a nice coffee shop. I think you two will like her, she has a similar sense of humour to me.” Steven says with a smug smile. In the past there was always something that they didn’t like about the girls he was interested. More often than not they were right, but that was just a minor detail.

“And what makes you think we like your sense of humour?” Brooklyn tries but fails to hide her amused expression.

Stevens response is interrupted by a knock on the door, Mr Lemon gets up to go and answer it and Mrs Collins sticks her head in.

“Can I please speak to Brooklyn?” She asks with a smile on her face.

“Sure.” Mr Lemon replies turning to the class “Brooklyn Mrs Collins needs to see you for a minute, or will she need to take her stuff?” He turns back to Mrs Collins, looking for an answer.

“Better bring your stuff.” She says kindly.

Mr Lemon returns to his desk as Brooklyn nervously gets up, Sky and Steven wish her luck. Once she is out of the classroom Mrs Collins starts briskly walking to her office.

“So he is very interested in speaking with you, but he is leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning and won’t be getting back for a week at least, this is his last big one before the divorce and Addison moves over to the States, don’t worry when you start they will be three days at the most. Anyway he was interested in speaking with you now, if that is okay?” Mrs Collins pauses to glance at Brooklyn before continuing.

“Yeah sure, just one question. What is his name?” Brooklyn asks not allowing the nerves to take over, she could do this.

Mrs Collins laughs to herself “Sorry must have forgotten to mention that. His name is Harry Styles. Addison Hastings is his soon to be ex-wife, she never changed her name, and Frankie Annabelle and Jesse Dylan are the adorable 3 year olds.” As she finishes they walk into her office. “We can use the landline it has a better speaker.”

Mrs Collins pushes in the number than puts the speaker on, it rings through three times before a deep voice answers. “Hello, Harry speaking.”

“Harry Darling, it is Latisha, I've got Brooklyn with me now.” Mrs Collins greets with a small smile.

“Mrs Collins. Brooklyn hello, how are you?” He asks kindly

“Good thank you sir.” Brooklyn replies.

“Brooklyn please call me Harry, I'm not my father yet. I would like to thank you so much for making time for me at such short notice, I really appreciate it.” Harry says.

“That is all right, we weren't doing much in class anyway, exams are all finished.” Brooklyn responds nervously.

“Yeah I remember how it was, does Mrs Collins still have the Monopoly championship?” Harry asks with a chuckle.

“Yeah she does, some of the other teachers have started to do the same, but with different games, it’s great.” Brooklyn answers starting to feel more relaxed.

“So I hear you’re quite good with children.” Harry inquires once he feels Brooklyn has relaxed enough.

“I’ll leave you two to it than.” Mrs Collins says as she gets up to go and sit on the lounge with an assortment of textbooks.

“I'm not sure what Mrs Collins had told you, but I have looked after my siblings for years and I babysit for three different families one night a week each.” Brooklyn answers.

“How many siblings?”

“Four, three girls and a boy. Scout is 16, Hunter and Riley are 14 and Kaden is 11.”

“You have experience with twins then. How long have you been looking after them?”

“yeah I do. Well Dad left just after Kaden was born I was 7 at the time, then a few years later Mum went back to work at the hospital, mainly doing night shift, so I was about nine when I started looking after them. Then when Scout was 12 I started regular babysitting, so I've been doing that for four years.”

“Impressive. Mrs Collins also tells me that you don’t know what you want to do next year.”

“Yeah, I never really thought about what I would actually do once I finished school, and now all of a sudden I'm practically finished and still have no clue. Mrs Collins has been trying to help me think of things and this morning she mentioned how she had ran into you and that you were looking for a nanny…”

“Yes, she does that, lovely women. So long story short, my wife Addison and I have decided to get a divorce and she is moving back home to the States and it is decided that I will have full custody of the twins Frankie Annabelle and Jesse Dylan they just turned 3. Now given that I have to go into the office every day and some weekends and have semi-regular business trips we thought it would be easier to just have a live in Nanny rather than stuffing around with day care’s, people to come late at night and people for when I'm away. I will explain more when you come and have a look around. Has Mrs Collins told you how I'm going away for a week at least?”

“Yeah she said that was why we had to talk now.”

“Good, well when I get back I am more than willing to have you here to meet the children and to show you around the house and neighbourhood.”

“Well I have two friends who are moving to London in three weeks and I said I would go and help them, so I’ll be in London then.”

“That sounds perfect. Now I already have your number so I’ll give you mine. Then I really have to go, I've had two 3 year olds unpacking my bags all day and I need to leave by 5:30 in the morning.” Harry says with a fond but exasperated sigh.

After Brooklyn finds a spare piece of paper and a pen and copies down Harry's number, with a promise to contact her as soon as he returns to the country. They exchange goodbyes with Mrs Collins coming over to say goodbye as well.

“So does that mean I've got the job?” Brooklyn turns to Mrs Collins disbelief laced in her tone and across her face.

“I believe so, it won’t be official until you have been to meet the children and had a look around, but I'm betting he isn't even going to talk to anyone else.” Mrs Collins confirms with a small smile.

“Wow, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be and less scary.” Brooklyn breathes a big sigh of relief, just as the bell rings, releasing them for the weekend. “Well thank you so much Miss, I really, really appreciate it, but I have to go Sky drove us all today, and I don’t feel much like walking.”

“That is not a worries dear, have a nice weekend and I will see you on Monday.” She says with a knowing smile.

When Brooklyn catches up with the other two they quickly ask her how it went, to which she tells them everything on their way to her house. Once again they have beaten the Brooklyn's siblings home, so Brooklyn begins to get afternoon tea ready, consisting of fruit salad and a couple cookies.

As per usual the other four arrive just as the food is being set on the table. They all sit down and exchange stories from their day as they eat.

**********

Three weeks fly by. School finished way to soon. Graduation day came and went. The two weeks after school were spent reminiscing, catching up with old friends and packing everything of Sky and Stevens into their car and van, respectively.

Harry had rung unexpectedly eleven days after the first call, while Brooklyn was observing an argument between Sky and her younger sister about the ownership of a number of CDs and DVDs. It still seemed so surreal to her that she pretty much had a job for the rest of this year and next year all lined up. Her Mum was so proud of her, after she had spoken to Mrs Collins and confirmed that Harry was not a serial killer or anything equally sinister.

During the call it was decided that they would meet for lunch the day after Brooklyn got to London, and the following day she would go and visit Harry’s house. Harry also told her that he had a month off starting the week Brooklyn was going to be in London, The finer details were left for when they were face to face.

The four and a half hour drive to London had been torture and Brooklyn couldn't remember it taking so long. They made it to London by lunch time and were quick to sign their leases. Everything was moved in, still in boxes but in their own flats none the less. Luckily the flats came mostly furnished, they had a bed, a TV stand (no TV), A lumpy couch and a wobbly kitchen table with two slightly steadier chairs. Steven and Sky's furnishings were almost identical.

They ended up ordering in while Sky and Steven started unpacking their stuff with Brooklyn floating from flat to flat helping were she could. Luckily they were on the same floor, across the hall and down three doors.

Brooklyn ended up staying with Sky that night; she was doing a better job of distracting her from the events of tomorrow and the next day.


End file.
